Universal cable-clamping device



L. L. VERKUIL Jan. 18, 1949.

UNIVERSAL CABLE- CLAMPING DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1946 mm H N? @M Jan., 18; 1949. VERKUIL 2,459,604

UNIVERSAL CABLE- C LAMPING DEVICE Filed July 261 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 was.

4 I 34 45 A? I v INVENTOR L50 4. VF/QKU/L ATTORNEY is} Figure 1 is a plan view Patented Jan. 18, 1949 'tJNrvERsar. cABLE-cLAMrmo DEVICE "Leo L. Verkuil, Tottenville, Staten Island, N. Y.,

1 a-ssignor to Edwards and'Company, Inc., Norwalk, Conn, a corporation of New York application Jui ec, 194e, Serial No. 686,481

15 Claims.

This invention relates I ing devicesand more particularly to a device for attaching a flexible insulated conductor. cable such as is employed in hospital signalling systems where the patient is provided with a signalling i it h- 1 Oneof the objects or this invention is to provide a compact and efficient device for catching a "signalling cable to the bed clothessuch as a sheet; blanket or the like or to attach it to some other parts such as a bed post, rail or the like.

Anotherobject is'to provide such a device that will be of dependable action and capable of avoiding damage to the part or partslto which the cable is to be attached andcapable also of safeguarding the 'cableitseif against material damage; Another object is to provide a device. of the above mentioned character which can be embodied in relatively diminutive and also attractive form and whichflwill be easy and simple to operate. Another object is. to provide a cableclamping device that will be of wide range of flexibility or adaptation to meet the widely varying conditions of practical use. 'Anothenobject is to provide a device of the'above mentioned character in which the individual parts are constructed so as to facilitate manufacture thereof individually and to facilitate assembly thereof into the completed device. Another'obj ect is in general to provide an improved clamping device,

and other objects will be inpart obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the-features ofconstruction, combinations of elements;

and arrangements of parts aswill be'exemplified inthe structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will beindicated in the following claims. l

In the accompanying drawing inz-which are shown illustratively several of the various pos-- sible embodiments of this invention,.

or top elevation of the complete device;v l

'i' Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figured is a bottom plan view as seen'from (the bottom of Figure 2;

1 Figure 4 islan end eievationas'seen-from'the r ri'ght in'Figure 1" or Figure 2, certain parts being broken away to show more clearly certain internal ,I D t Figure 5 is an exploded perspective View of several mounting and assembly'parts; Figure-6 is a detailed perspective viewof one {of the'clamping to flexible cable-clamp- I Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating another mode of coaction of the device with the cable; 1

Figure 11 is a front elevation of another embodiment of a complete device, showing certain alternative features of construction, and

Figure 12 is an end elevation as seen from th right in Figure 11, certain parts being broken away to show more clearly certain internal parts and the modified or alternative ieatur'es above mentioned. v

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the draw- The device comprises a housing l2 which is preferably made'up to provide a top wall l3 from which depend opposed'sidev walls l4, l5, and opposed end walls I6, H; in the opposed end walls; 16, I1, are passages l8, I9, preferably in the form of slots which open into the lower edges of the end walls, being of a size to readily accommodate therein the flexible cable which may carrya number of insulated conductors and which is sometimes called a flexible cord or flexible cable. Conveniently the walls of the slots I8 and Hi can be rounded as indicated in Fig. '4, the slots l8 and i9 being aligned sothat a portion or reach of thelcable, when inserted into the slots, bridges lengthwise across the interior space within the housing [2. side-walls l4 and i5 are provided with passages Zll and 2t, preferably-aligned transversely of the housing and preferably in the form of slots which open into the lower edges of the side walls l4 and I5. They are to accommodate and expose therethrough manual actuators or finger pieces 22 and 23, respectively, which may be given any suitable shape that is convenient to the grip of the fingersof the hand so that the I two actuators (see Figs. 1 and 4) may be siniul-I taneously pressed inwardly'of the slots 20 and 2! to actuatecertain parts as is later described.

' larly shaped.

As appearsbetter in Fig. f4, t hejdevi ze is pro- The opposed vided with two opposed clamping jaws 26 and 21 which project downwardly from the interior of the housing l2 and below the aligned edges of its walls and hence project downwardly well beyond the region occupied by a cable that is seated in the slots I8 and l9. Coacting with the clamping jaws =26 and 21 and .positioned internally thereof are two clampingv elements 28 and 29, being preferably of any suitable springy sheet metal. Clamping jaws 2-6 and 21 are pref-- erably made of relatively unyielding sheet metal and the spring or yielding clamping-elements 28 and 29 are preferably mounteddirectly upon and carried by the plate-like clamping jaws- 26 and 2? respectively. i

Preferably jaw 26 and element 28 and certain related parts are made up as a single unit or sub-assembly so constructed and shaped that two such sub-assemblies can be used and assembled toprovide the two pairs of clampingnjaws or elements above described, thus .to lessen the number of difierently shaped parts, and tools therefor. In Fig. 6 one oithese sub-assemblies isshown in perspective and let. it be assumed that it represents the lefthand subeassembly of Fig. 4 that includes the clamping jaw 26 and the clamping element28; accordingly the clamping jaw 26 comprises a plate-like. area of the sheet metal stock curved or bent along one end, where it may be serrated. as at 30 .for better gripping. action as a clamping jaw, and at its lower opposed edges there are. provided spacedmounting ears 3! and 32 formed by bending appropriate portions of the sheet metal at right angles to the plane of. the part 26; To one side. of the vertical center line ofthejaw part 26, the sheetmetal of the latter is extended at 33 at substantially right angles .to the planeof thepart 26-, theextension 33 being slightly less thanhalf the spacing be-. tween the apertured mounting ears 3| and 32.

- Thus the eXtension 33 isbent upwardly. to provide a lever arm 34 which preferably makes. an acute angle with the plane of the jaw part. 26, an-dat its upper end the arm 34 is extended to the left. as at'35, the latter extension being provided with a horizontal slot 3B open-at one end as shown.

. end portion 'ofthe. spri-ngy clamping ,element. 28

tothe. plate j aw iffi. The'upper end (as viewed in Fig. 6) of the clamping element 28 may thus move under its resiliency, toward or away from the main clamping jaw 26 and where the springy clamping element28 is bent at its uppermostor jaw end to form a guiding lip 28 as appears bet- 2 terin Fig. 4, the-plate-like jaw-2B may :have an elongated aperture 43 cut out of it so as .to let the lip. 2B enter it if necessary.-

The sub-assembly shown in Fig.6 can thus be madeup of two individual :sheet metal elements each orwhich can readily and inexpensively be given its desired conformation by suitable stamping' or other press operations. Two such subasseniblies may now be interrelated, using the apertures in the interrelatedspace mounting ears SI and was aligning guides, and placing-thetwo upstanding relatively rigid jaw elements26 face to face, with. thearm like extensions 3340f eachextending side by side and underneath and beof the latter.

yond the opposed plate-like jaw element, thus bringing the upstanding lever arm extensions 34 respectively to the two sides of the facing jaw elements. When so interrelated the pivoting ear 3| of the one unit is face to face with the pivoting ear 32 of the companion unit, and vice versa,

and when soaligned the two clamping units or sub assemblies are thenzlrelated to. the mounting ears 4| and 42, cut and bent out of a rectangular sheet metal mounting plate 43 (see Figure 5) and spaced apart to receive the assembled and interrelated spaced mounting ears of the two units therebetween. The mounting plate 43 is adapted to rest against the-inside face of top Wall [3 and hasholes for thereception of securing screws 41.

Ears 4| and 42 are also apertured and through the apertures of all the aligned mounting ears is then thrust a pivoting pin 44 (Figures 5 and 8), with a coiled spring 45 interposed between the spaced sets of ears and surrounding. the. pin 44. Pin 44 may then be upset or flattened at its ends as shownin Figure 8. The-spring45 has two .ends

,lS and 45 which are bent and are of lengths such thatthey extend through .holes 34 or rest against the horizontal extensions 33 and 33 of the-two sub-assemblies, parts -3333 extending side by side and underneath .thepin 44 and the. coil spring 45 as is better shown in Figure 8. The spring is so tensioned that it tends to unwind and its ends 45 and 45 in pressing against the two axially spaced arm extensions 33 and 33,'re-

siliently press these parts 33 downwardly; (in Figure 6) in oppositedirections, an actionwhich holds the. serrated jaw portions 30 of the .two clamping jaws 26 and .21 tightly together but separable upon overcomingithe action. of the spring 45.

Were the resultant sub-assembly to be inserted through the open bottom end of the housing,

the open-slotted horizontal lever extensions 35 would be brought alongside of the internal faces of the sidewalls l4- and i5 and since these horizontal extensions are of 'greater'length than the width of the slots 20 and 21, they would transversely bridge these slots. However, before insertih-gthe thus far assembled structure into the housing-l2, the button-like actuators 22 and 23 are assembled to the structure; each of these actuators 22 and 23 is provided at its inner face with 'a headed stud 46 (see Figure 7) which if v the parts 22 and23 are made of moldable resinlike materials, may be inthe form of a headed meta-l shank like a rivetand may have its shank anchored into the actuator during the molding Accordingly actuator 22 (Fig; 3) with itsheaded stud and actuator 23 with its headed'stud are noweassembled touthe two external and opposedlever-arms 34 and- 34 of the 'subassembly by simply sliding the stud shanks into theopen ended slotsa36 of the two horizontal extensions-35 (see Fig.16).

The resultant sub-assembly comprising the parts shown in Fig. 5 and twosub-units such'as that of Fig. 6, together withthe two actuators 22 and 23, isnow inserted. into the housing l2 through its open bottom. to bring the fiatmounting plate 43 against the under face of the top wall l3 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 8 whence it ls secured thereto as by screws. 41,

In so assembling the sub-assembly to thehou'singl2, thetwo sets of clamping jaws (see-Fig. 4)

are brought into apropriate alignment with the endwall-slots I8 and 'l9,'and the. actuators 22 and 23 are, by the entering movement .of the sub-assembly into the housing, brought into their respective side wall slots 20 and2l whose vertical'edg'esise'e Figs. 2" and 3) thereupon preclude such movement of the actuators relative to the slots'35aswou1d permit disengagement of the "actuators from their respective lever arms 34 and34. The assembly is thus completed.

Upon manually grasping the device as by applying the thumb to one actuator and 1 the forefinger to the one on the opposite side (Figs. 1 and 4), and pressing'the actuators inwardly of the side walls and hence towards each other, the action of the spring arms 45 and 45 may be overcome and the two jaw units are swung apart from each other, thus separating the jaw 26 from the jaw 21" (Fig.4), that separating movement carrying with it an appropriate amount of separation of the spring-clamping elements 28 and '29 that are internally of and carriedby the relative rigid jaws 26 and 21. Due to the relationship of the clamping units, with the operating "lever (of each passing underneath and tothe .otherside' of the other, the resultant movement toward each other of the two lever arms 34 and 34',Tasj.seen in Fig. 3, has a reverse action upon the clamping jaws and effects separation thereof.

A cable indicated at 48 in Fig. 9 and carrying a manually operable signal switch 49 at its end, as in a hospital. bed installation, may now be entered into the open end wall slots 18 and I9, thus longitudinally traversing the inside space of the ,housing l2, and with the jaws open the cable thus enters in between the spring-clamping eleine'nt s 28 and 29 (Fig. 4) which, according to the desired initial shaping and tensioning thereof, can yield away from each other to permit complete entry of the cable therein, the guidinglips 128 and 29 thereof being accommodated in the apertures (Figs, 3 and .6) of the external clamping jaws. When completely-entered into the spring-clamping-elements 28 and 29, the lat- ,ter bytheir spring action grip the cable'and hold the cable and the entire device together as a unit even though the pressure on the actuators 22 and 23 is not yet released and'hence even %though the external jaws 26 and 21 are still held open.

- -which the cable is to be attached may be brought into the open downwardly projecting jaws 26 and 21 and in Fig. 9 there is diagrammaticallyindicated at 56 a sheet or a blanket entered into the jaws 26 and 21 and securely held thereby, upon the release of the manual actuators 22 and 23. Should it be desired to loop a portion of the cable about some-part such as a bed post or bed rail, in order thus to attach or position the signalling ,switch 49, the device and the cable are first attachedto each other by the spring-clamping ele- -ments 28 and 29 as above described and having completed the loop, indicated at 51) in Fig. 10, about the selected fixed part indicated at 5|, the ;other;portion #8 of the loop is brought into the .stillopen protruding jaws 26 and 21 by which it is gripped upon the release of the actuators, thus dependably insuring'the maintenance of the loop ..and; itsaction in securing the signalling switch 49;;atthe desired location.

The device is neat in appearance and is strong,

j;reliable,.and fool-proof in action or use. For ex-, YO

In this latter condition any desired part to 6 7 er or" not such action is aided by keeping the finger pieces or actuators 22 and 23 pressed together'so as to hold separated the jaws 26 and 21 and also the spring clamping elements 28 and 29; the guiding elements 28 and 29 'are entered into the slots or apertures 40 of the external clamping jaws so as to give the spring clamping elements 28 and 29 a greater rangeofseparating movement, and during such action thewalls of the apertures M] can guide and hold the respective spring elements against material distortion up wardly' as viewed in Figure 4' under the applied pressure. 1

In Figures 11 and 12 I have shown a clamping device in which certain advantages of construction and action, over and above those above described with respect to the spring clampingv elements 28 and 29, are achieved by making these spring clamping elements in one piece andby shaping them to' achieve additional coactions with the above described slots or apertures in the rigid clamping jaws. According to this modilfication of the invention, and in place of the two individual spring elements 28 and 29 of Figures 4, 6 and 8, I provide a single spring element 53 of flat spring stock, wide enough to be' freely' entered into the apertures 40 and of a length whereby it can be curved and shaped as is bettershown in Figure 12 to provide it with a spring loop'of a radius of curvature to be freely received between the parallel portions of the rigid jaws 26 and 21 when the latter are in closed position, the loop providing spring clamping elements 54 and '55 within and by which the cable is gripped and clamped. Theseelements54 and 55 are extended downwardly and outwardly to provide relatively long guiding elements 54 and 55 which are furthermore extended so .as to enter the'apertures 40 in the two clamping jaws 26 and 21, terminating in endelements 54 and 55 which are bent at such an angle that, afterbeing'passed through the slots or apertures, they rest fia't- Wise against the respective outer faces of the clamping jaws 26 and 21, thus to hold the spring unit 53 assembled to and in coacting relationship with the two jaws 26 and 21, the spring. action of the part 53, in opposing opening upof the loop 54, acting also in a direction to bias the rigid jaws in closing or gripping direction.

With this construction, the lever elements or sub-units like that shown in Figure 6 and of which two are employed in making up each device, need not be provided with the clamping ears .31 or other means for fastening the spring elements thereto as in the embodiment of Figures ll/and 8, and thus the construction is simplified and improved, and with the embodiment of Figures 11 and 12 assembiy is greatly facilitated, for

the jaw parts 26 and 21 of the two lever units,

in course of assembly, are simply snaked on to the bent ends of the spring unit 53 which becomes reliably interlocked therewith upon bringing the rigid clamping jaws into parallelism appropriate to aligning the holes in the pivoting ears 3! and 32 of the two lever ends for the reception of the pin 44. I

In action, the device of Figures 11 and 1 2 may be used as illustratively described above in connection with Figures 9 and 10, the clamping force of the spring 45 being, if desired, materially supplemented or even supplanted, if desired, by the action of the spring loop of the spring unit 53 whose arms 54 and 55 can directly clamp .the cable and through whose spring extensions 54* and 55 the relatively rigid clamping or gripping actions. onflthespartz-engaged therein or thereygi; p v1 .Theidownward :and aoutwardi curvature of the springiextensionsrflaa-ndx55. act as effective guides. to enter the cable into the grip of the 'armstil: and :55;-.of: the loop which are cammed :a'parhby .the.zcammingactiomof .the cableson the. guidingpartszfls and 55 and. this .action canrbeaaidedbyholdingithe actuators 22 and .23r pressedatoward' each other, thus to separate the jaws- 26. and .21 and bythe bent-over end parts. 54" and; 55 cause the jaws to pull thetwo opposed spring arm portions of the spring uni-t 53 apart to aid in entering the cable into the springeloop; the parts, however, are preferably soproportioned that. under these circumstances,

thatzlsiwith theiawslfi. and x2'! in open position,

,thezopposed spring arms are. spaced apart by a :distance less than the thickness of the cable. The spring arms thus yield under the pressure, forcing thegcableintothe loop, the apertures 4!! permitting v;th e-extensions 5 and 55a to move in a direction respectively to the left and to the right relative to the=jaws Ziiand 21. already; engaged-.and gripped in the spring loop, this relationship ofthe parts insures against re- Also with a cable lease oi the cable wh en the rigid jaw parts are manually; separated,.,a s'- when the sheet or other rest against the horizontal extensions 33. and 33 jot the. two 'leverjends or sub-assemblies, but-to facilitate. assembly of. the latter to the mounting plate 43(Fig ures 4, 5 and '12) it is preferred to Provide eachofthe' two arms 34 with holes 34* closely 'adj'acenti'to the extensions 33, to receive thefrespective' ends45f and 45 of the spring 45, "-asi'isbest'shownin Figures 4, 8 and 12. In this way also'the spring arms can act to hold or 'positionthe spring during assembly for the passage therethrou'gh of the pivoting pin 44 as above described, and also a longer and more facile leverlike action of these spring'arms achieved.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention clamping devices for securing'a flexible cable, in which the various objects above noted, together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. The device is fool-proof in operation and is safe, dependable and widely adaptable and flexible in action, and moreover makes it possible to dependably avoid the many deficiencies and the substantial damage inherent in the use of pins and safety pins as in heretofore known practices.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might'be made'in the embodiment above set forth,

it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: 1. Aclamping device for clamping a cableand for clamping another part comprising a housing til of .-cable;.-the11ein .to thereby bridge the interior space in the housing, said. housing-having openended slotsi-in tWO'eODPOSBdE depending--- wa1ls.to receive afinger piece. member in each, a clamping unit receivable into-the housing through. its open bottom .endandcomprisingtwo pairs of clamping elements .of which one-.pairis of a length to extend beyond said open bottom end: and-the other pair isxof ;.alength to engage a reach I of cablebridged through the housing in. .said..first mentioned 1 slots, two -fing er, .piece members for said clamping: unit; for actuating at. least .one pair oi clamping. elements and respectively enter.- able into'said second mentioned slots upon entry or, .said. clamping unit 1 ,intosaid '7 housing, and mechanical interconnections between. said finger pieces. and said clampingsunitsheld. against disconnection by. entry otsaid finger pieces respectively=into said second mentioned slots;

2...A.c onstruction as claimedin claim 1 in which said mechanical interconnections between each of. said fingerpieces and said clampingunit comprise alslot. on. oneof'the pa'rts to be connected and. a slotin .thecompanion partto be connected, said. headed. part "being enteredinto said part and. said slot extending in a direction relative to the slotiriiwhi'ch the fingerpiece isreceived so that the slot in which the finger piece isentered,

in preventing movement of the finger piece, holds and comprising coacting parts ,interengageable upon relative movement therebetween in a directio'n other than. the direction which the rmger. piece is moveable relative to its housing slot upon assembly "or disassembly fOf' the clamping unit relative to the housing. V

4. A clamping device for clamping a cable and 1. for; clamping: another. part comprising a housing open'at its bottom endand having open-ended slots attwo opposed sides thereof to receive a reach of cable therein to thereby bridge; the interior space of the housingpsaid housing having "a' finger-piece-receiving cutout ina wall thereof,

aficlamping'iunit "enterable into said housing through-the open "end "thereof-and comprising two pairs of-clamping elements of which one pair extendsbeyond said bottom end for clamping 'a part beneath said housing and of which the'other pair'isof' a length toward said open end to engage said "bridging cable reach," said clamping '-unit having a 'finger piece for actuating at least'one pair 'ofclamping elements, said finger-piece being "entered'fupon entry ohsaid clamping unit into said; housing, into saidcutout of the housing,

5. A constructionas claimed in claini-4 in "which said clamping unit and 'said fingerpiece are provided with companion parts forming mechanicalconnecting means thatare engageable or disengageable upon relative movement therebetweenand being held "against relative disengaging movement by the-entry of said finger piece insaidcutoutu 6.*A clam pingdevice-forclamping a cable' and I for clamping another part comprising a housing open at its bottom and having open-ended slots in two opposed depending wallsto receive a reach open "at its bottom-"and having slots at two opposed ends' to receive" a reach 01" cable therein to' thereby bridge the interiorspace in the housing and-having open ended slots in its two opposed side walls for receiving finger pieces therein, a clamping unit enterable into said housin through its open bottom end and havin means for securing it to the housing, said unit having two pairs of clamping elements of which one pair is of a length and extent to engage said bridging cable and the other pair is of a length to extend beyond said open bottom end to engage and clamp an extraneous part underneath said housing, said clamping unit having opposed finger pieces respectively entered into said opposed open-ended-slots.

7. A construction as claimed in claim 6 in which the cable-clamping pair of clamping elements comprise spring-biased jaw elements respectively secured to the clamping elements of the other clamping pair and having terminal conformations to provide substantially an outwardly divergent mouth to facilitate entry of the cable reach thereinto.

8. A construction as claimed in claim 6 in which the cable-clamping pair of clamping elements comprise a loop-like member of spring material received between the clamping elements of the other clamping pair and having terminal extensions outwardly divergent to facilitate entry thereinto of said cable reach.

9. A construction as claimed in claim 6 in which the cable-clamping pair of clamping elements comprise a loop-like member of spring material received between the clamping elements of the other clamping pair and having terminal extensions outwardly divrgent to facilitate entry thereinto of said cable reach,.the clamping elements of said other pair having opposed cutouts and said terminal extensions having portions respectively entered into said cutouts.

10. A construction as claimed in claim 6 in which the cable-clamping pair of clamping elements comprise a loop-like member of spring material received between the clamping elements of the other clamping pair and having terminal extensions outwardly divergent to facilitate entry thereinto of said cable reach, the clamping elements of said other pair having opposed cutouts and said terminal extensions having portions respectively entered into said cutouts.

11. A clamping device for clamping a cable and for clamping another part comprising two lever members each of substantially inverted U-shape with means pivotally connecting and springbiasing them in a direction to bias their respective inner arms toward each other to effect clamping therebetween of a part and thereby bias their respective outside arms away from each other, and means forming cable engaging clamping jaws accommodated between said first mentioned two arms and being of shorter length than the latter, whereby pressing said outer arms toward each other to support said inner arms, the latter can engage and clamp a part other than said cable engaged by said first mentioned cable clamping means.

12. A construction as claimed in claim 11 in whichsaid cable clamping means comprise two spring-biased members havin means mounting them respectively to said two levers.

13. A construction as claimed in claim 11 in p which said cable clamping means comprises two spring elements secured respectively to said two levers to partake of opening movement upon pressing said outside arms of the latter toward each other.

14. A clamping device as claimed in claim 11 in which said cable clamping means comprises a loop-like element of spring material received between said inner arms of said two levers and having terminal extensions respectively in mechanical interengagement with said inner arms of said two'levers.

15; A clamping device as claimed in claim 11 in'which said cable clamping means, comprises a loop-like member of spring material having terminal extensions, said terminal extensions and said two inner arms of said two levers having lost motion connections.

' LEO L. VERKUIL.

No references cited. 

